What is the #1 sleep issue or pain point for babies in this age group?

We often see a nap strike around 12 months old that is tied to a developmental leap and many parents make the mistake of dropping down to 1 nap per day too early. We want to hold on to 2 naps for as long as possible.

This is important because without enough day sleep we start the evening overtired, which triggers multiple night waking and early rising.

Your baby is dealing with developmental leaps like standing, talking and walking

Developmental milestones often interfere with sleep because babies practice their new skills in the crib

Hoping they grow out of night waking is the wrong approach, healthy sleep is a learned behavior

What are some excellent guiding tips for parents of this age group?

Some action items you can take to begin setting a healthy sleep foundation include:

Use blackout curtains

Use continuous white noise for all sleep – some great brands are Marpac, etc.

Offer 2 naps per day at roughly 9 am and 1 pm and apply the 1 hour rule to short naps to teach baby how to connect sleep cycles and return to sleep if they wake after 30-45 minutes

Have a burning question about your baby or want to learn more tips to improve short naps? Sign up for your free 15 minute consultation with one of our certified Sleep Experts by visiting dreambabysleep.com/scheduler.